Leadership Thought: I'm at 23 and Still Adding to My Thankful List.

Dear Friends, 

 A while ago I sat down and began to develop a  "Thankful List." It wasn't on Thanksgiving that I began preparing my list, in fact, it was around Easter, and this morning I pulled the list up on my computer screen. I read through it again, and then sent it to my wife and children who are featured on my list. My list is not complete and in just a few minutes this Thanksgiving morning, I am going to add a few more items to my list. 

Doing this  "Thankful" Thanksgiving exercise provides me a wonderful reminder of how my life has been so blessed as I stand on the doorstep of year 80. My list contains 23 items and dates back to my high school days, and it includes the names of a number of people, some who presently receive this Leadership Thought. 

It is a wonderful thing to sit down and take stock of your life and to remember how blessed you really are. Oh, I know there have been a few bumps in the road in all our lives. There have been health issues, financial struggles, relational challenges and other concerns and events that have stretched and challenged us, but we are still alive and that should be near the top of any one of our "Thankful Lists."

Below I share the first 7 items on my list. I hope this will prime your pump to do the same. Every one of us has a long list of things for which to be grateful, however, you  seldom will appreciate them, unless and until,  you sit down, write them out and reflect upon them. And once you do this, take a moment to pray and give thanks for each of them. 

God loves you and wants the very best for you, and any challenges you have faced in life have only made you stronger and  enabled you to be kinder and more sensitive to those who have traveled your same journey. So have a blessed day and start writing, and don’t forget the words of the Apostle Paul who exhorts us to, "Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:16-18).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Partial Thankful List

I am thankful that in 1962 I personally accepted Jesus Christ and that decision was the greatest  decision I have ever made in my life. I am thankful for Jesus, and His love for me and the way He has guided and directed my life in the years following that decision.

I am thankful that the Lord brought Jean into my life, and for her love for me and for the way she has loved and helped raise our four children and now our ten grandchildren.

I am thankful for the incredible care and concern our children have shown for their mom and dad during our life but especially during our present health challenges.

I am thankful for my children and the fact that they are all so caring and concerned about the needs of others, and that they are all teachers who have used their position to touch and influence so many other lives. 

I am thankful that the Lord has enabled me to celebrate 79 birthdays, and that He has given me the opportunity to love and be loved by so many people over 50 years of ministry.

I am thankful for cancer, yes, I know it sounds strange, but cancer has given me a greater appreciation for life and a deeper compassion for those who suffer. It has also driven me to try and squeeze as much out of life as I can in whatever time the Lord has left for me.

I am thankful that the Lord has given me such a great desire to grow and learn more about my relationship with Him, and to grow in my understanding of how I can be a better person and more effective in leading more people to Christ.